


A Cat Named Thompson

by curiously_me



Category: Wolf's Rain
Genre: Cats, Friendship, Gen, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-03
Updated: 2012-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:09:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiously_me/pseuds/curiously_me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written using 750words.com // Sorry, not beta-ed.</p>
    </blockquote>





	A Cat Named Thompson

**Author's Note:**

> Written using 750words.com // Sorry, not beta-ed.

Toboe watched Granny for a long time before he ever gained the courage to approach her home. He watched as she fed the stray cats that lived in the area and took in abandoned or orphaned kittens until they were old enough to survive on their own. She seemed like such a nice human, but he'd seen nice humans before and the minute they saw a wolf in their presence they weren't so nice anymore. So, he'd learned to be cautious when approaching humans and their homes.

But he'd been watching Granny for nearly two weeks now and he'd never once seen her get angry at any of the animals around her. Not even when she'd helped a cat that had been attacked by a pack of dogs and was scared and hurting and didn't realize that Granny wasn't going to hurt it too. That particular cat had clawed at her arms with the last of it's strength, when she scooped it up out of the gutter. Toboe had seen the cat learn to trust Granny and eventually, after it healed up a bit, it seemed that it had become one of the few animals that called Granny's house it's home.

The cat, who called itself Thompson, ventured outdoors on occasion and, when he wasn't roaming the neighborhood, sometimes would visit with Toboe in his little hidey hole in the alleyway across from Granny's house. Of all the cats Toboe had ever met, Thompson was the absolute nicest, bringing the wolf pup an occasional mouse he had caught in Granny's pantry or just lying next to Toboe, grooming him from head to tail in long, slow licks.

Thompson told Toboe all about how much he liked living with Granny, about how nice she was, and that he was sure she wouldn't mind if Toboe stopped by for a visit one of these days.

Toboe still wasn't sure. To be honest, he rather liked watching Granny from a safe distance, where his dream of a place where he could live wouldn't be destroyed by reality.

When it came to creativity and stubbornness, though, he never stood a chance when up against a cat of Thompson's caliber. He didn't even know how it happened, just that one day he went out to meet Thompson at the edge of the sidewalk in front of Granny's house and she was suddenly right there standing next to the smug cat. Toboe froze in surprise and just a little bit of terror, unable to move for fear that it would draw her attention.

"Oh, dear me, aren't you a skinny little thing?" Granny said, her voice so warm and soft it made Toboe want to curl up right next to her and never move again.

He stood stock still as she walked slowly towards him. He knew, from what Thompson had said, that she had something called arthritis that made it hard for her to move very quickly. Now that she'd seen him, he couldn't decide whether or not he should make a run for it and never come back or stay still and see what happened.

The decision was quite firmly taken out of his paws when Thompson sauntered up to him and started weaving in and around his braced legs, purring louder than a freight train, forcing Toboe to relax. The cat had trained him well over the weeks to respond to his purring and mother-henning just as he would to the bitch who'd whelped him.

Granny laughed at the image before her. A half-starved wolf pup responding to a tomcat like it was his mother. 'As if this isn't the cutest thing I've ever had the pleasure of seeing.' She thought to herself.

"Well, it would seem that Thompson has adopted you and he is a rather good judge of character. Would you like to come inside and have a meal with us?" She asked, holding her hand out for Toboe to smell.

He leaned forward a few inches, just enough to catch her scent, and breathed in deeply two or three times. She smelled so good, like plants and night sky and warm, fresh-baked breads.

When Granny straightened and turned back to the house, Toboe found his feet following her of their own accord, carrying him through the door and into the warm building close on Thompson's heals. As if he could hide behind an animal only a quarter of his size, Toboe managed to wedge himself between Thompson and the nearest wall while Granny set about getting dinner prepared.

She talked nonstop while she cooked, asking Thompson what he'd been up to and listening to his replies as if she could actually understand what he was saying. Occasionally, she would ask Toboe a question and after the first time Thompson swiped at him for not answering, Toboe had answered her questions quietly, woofing softly and grumbling a little in response. He could practically feel Thompson laughing at him.

After that first night, when he spent dinner with Granny and Thompson, Toboe just never left. He'd found a place to call home for as long as he wanted, he was safe and loved, and had friends who were more than willing to watch his back.

Thinking about his time with Granny and Thompson always brought a heavy sadness with it, no matter if his memories were happy ones. He missed them both terribly and wished that he hadn't wandered away from Thompson that fateful day he'd finally met another wolf. Maybe the cat could have given him some much needed advice before he recklessly decided to leave the city with a makeshift pack of wolves who only saw him as a runt.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"Hey, Kiba, what's up with the pup?" Tsume heard Hige whispering to their self-elected leader. He'd been wondering the same thing himself, but wasn't used to dealing with others and hadn't been able to think of a way to breach the subject with the pup.

But he'd been watching as they traveled and had seen how Toboe had become more and more silent, as his tail had sunk lower with each passing hour until, by the time they stopped to rest, it was hanging between his legs in mirror to his ears. To any passing beast, Toboe looked like absolutely depressed, not at all like the excited pup who'd jumped at the chance to find the Flower Maiden.

"No idea." Kiba replied, turning his head and watching the pup for a moment before turning towards Tsume.

"You should see what we can do for him." He said, "Toboe idolizes you, he might tell you what's wrong."

Tsume felt is eyebrows lift in surprise. He hadn't thought Kiba was capable of stringing more than one sentence together at a time, the silent bastard.

"He's got a point, ya know." Hige pointed out. "You're kind of like this bad ass, killer wolf with the scars to prove he can take on anyone anytime they feel like trying, but... I mean, you kinda went out of your way to save the kid, too."

Tsume had no idea what his face looked like, that it shut Hige up so quickly, but he was almost certain it would have made him laugh had he seen it himself.

After a moment, where Kiba and Hige just stared at him expectantly, Tsume sighed heavily before standing and making his way over to the pup's side. He sat down, close enough to feel that Toboe was shaking from the cold and sighed again.

Without saying a word, he reached out and tugged the pup against his side, wrapping an arm across Toboe's shoulders and ignoring the shocked yip he got in response. The idiot couldn't even keep himself warm, so how was he supposed to survive out here in the wilderness.

"When I was still living with my pack as a young wolf, my mother gave me a piece of advice. It was hard to accept then, because I thought I was invincible and that nothing could touch me." Tsume paused, as he felt Toboe snuggle in closer and tilt his head as if to hear him better.

"She said that when we couldn't find the words to say what we felt, to describe a loss so great it feels like the world is ending, that that was the moment we became true sons and daughters of the wolves of before. I didn't understand what she meant until my pack was destroyed and I found myself wandering alone for the very first time.

"I traveled for such a long time, losing myself in the continuous movement, but on the first full moon I happened to glance up and it just mesmerized me. I felt all of the loss pooling in my chest, choking me and I thought it was my pack, come back as spirits to bring balance and take my life..." He trailed off, lost in memory and feeling his voice getting thick with remembered emotion.

Toboe pushed a paw into his chest, a remnant leftover from losing his mother far too early in life, silently prompting him to continue.

Tsume nudged the pup's head with his chin, settling him in closer and ignoring Kiba and Hige's attention. So what if they wanted to listen in, this was for the pup's sake.

"Well, as you can guess, I was pretty scared and didn't know what my instincts were trying to tell me, so I just let go and suddenly I was howling like I've never heard. All of the fear and sorrow, exhaustion and pain, was just flying out of me. I'm not really sure how long I cried to the moon, but when morning came I could barely make a sound. I felt, relieved and refreshed, I guess you might say.

"My mother was right, in the end. The moon is our guide and protector. So, if you ever need to say something but don't know how to find the words to say it, just look to the moon and let go. She'll never let you fall."

He could smell the faintest hint of tears and knew that Toboe understood what he'd been trying to say. They sat for a long while, listening to the sound of the wind moving across the prairie.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

When the pack laid down to sleep for the night, Tsume pulled Toboe in close to his chest and wrapped himself around the pup protectively. Even if he hadn't wanted to, his instincts had already made the decision to keep watch of the pup and to do everything possible to allow him his innocence for as long as they could.

Tsume felt Hige curl up behind him, heard the rotund wolf snort and snuffle as he shifted into a comfortable position before settling in to sleep. He locked gazes with Kiba, who was moving in next to Toboe, and for once they seemed to understand each other.

Their pup was worth more than their petty bickering over who was in charge.


End file.
